4

Lana’s POV

Zoey was a parrot. She needed to have her lips clipped so she stopped embarrassing people who crossed her. The little evil doer knew about my feelings for her brother and had threatened to reveal it all because I had told her parents that she wanted to sneak out to climb into the neighbor's house all because the son had pranked her, and she wanted to get back at him by splashing his clothes with ink.

Now, she was smirking and staring pointedly at me with her eyes full of deceit and Drake’s question did not help. He knew nothing about my silly crush, and it needed to stay that way.

“Don’t mind me, brother,” Zoey said and approached us. She looked at me as if she was warning me that it was not over yet before wrapping her arms around her brother for just a few seconds.

“What’s up?” He asked and she shrugged.

Out of the four children, Zoey was distant and always to herself. Her communication level was low but when she wanted to communicate, it was when she wanted to get back at someone who got on her nerves.

“Where’s Lia? She was with us a while ago. Is she downstairs?” 

“She’s in the kitchen." She looked at me then smiled at her brother. "Alright, let me go see Paul.”

With that, she walked past him and nudged her shoulder against my arm and smiled before going to the elevator. Drake followed suit and smiled at me. Once the doors closed, I exhaled in relief before continuing my walk with my mind still heavy and heart racing from what Zoey had said, almost embarrassing me in front of her brother, someone I liked with my whole heart.

Thinking about him made me remember when I first saw him and how I saw him to be precise. He had been swimming in the pool and my mom had sent me to get something from the pool room. I was just thirteen then and barely knew anything. Once I had gotten what she asked me to, Drake walked into the room, wearing only his swimming trunks and a towel on his shoulder. I always heard his voice in the halls and was always shy to face him. That day, we both stood staring at each other and never had I seen a cute and handsome boy before. I always thought boys around my age were gross but when I saw Drake, I thought otherwise.

Since then, I have been crushing on him and it did not help that he looked better as he grew. He was the perfect description of a male lead out of one of Lia’s comics. And now, he was better looking, more muscular and even taller. And his voice… it was deeper and hoarse than before. I needed to hear that voice whisper in my ear so badly.

When we hugged, it felt like all the butterflies in the world filled my stomach. I also felt the way his hand had squeezed my hip, and I was certain he was not aware of what he had been doi-

“Lana?”

“Yes?” I spun around to face the owner of the voice.

It was Mr. Hamilton. He was eyeing me as if I had two heads before he shook his head and pointed at the tray he was holding and on it was a glass of orange juice. I rushed over to where he was and took the tray from him.

“Take that to Paul. He called the kitchen, saying that he wanted one.”

I smiled and watched him walk away before I started a short journey to Paul’s room. When I reached his room, the door was partially open, so I walked in. My brows furrowed when I saw no signs of him in the room. I shrugged and crossed the room to the coffee table in his room. I placed the tray on it and turned around, only to scream when I saw a half-naked Paul. I covered my eyes immediately and my heart started to beat fast.

This was not happening. Not now that I stopped having feelings for him.

Paul was the first person I ever had a crush on as a silly twelve-year-old girl, even down to when I started having feelings for Drake. It was Paul I saw first, especially when he would jog every Saturday around the mansion and when he would drive me to school as we grew. He was just as good looking as Drake and I was afraid to be around him alone because I was scared, I still had lingering feelings.

Somehow the universe hated me and made me see him bare chested. From the quick image of his chest, I could tell he was ripped. All that driving on racetracks must've given him those beca-

“Open your eyes, Lana.”

I dropped my hands, hesitantly with my eyes slightly open. He was now wearing a shirt, and I opened my eyes fully then swallowed. He was staring at me through his wet bangs and something about his gaze on me made me flustered. I gritted my teeth when his eyes moved up and down my body before a smirk appeared on his lips.

“What are you doing in my room?” He sat on his bed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Uhm… Your dad… I brought you your juice,” I said and pointed at it.

“Bring it to me.”

“I am not your maid, Paul Asher Hamilton.” I loved calling their full names and swallowed hard when his eyes darkened.

“Do that again and you won’t be getting the gift I bought for you.”

I gasped and rushed over to him. I sat beside him on the bed and grabbed his arm.

“What did you get me?” I was feeling the desperation crawl up my body. He never got me gifts.

“It’s hidden somewhere but I could show you on my phone.”

I watched as he picked up his phone from the bed and instead of showing me, he held the phone in front of my face. I frowned at him and made a move to take it, but he smirked and moved his hand out of my reach.

“Get me my juice,” he said, and I frowned deeper.

“No. Come on, Paul.” I stretched my hand to grab the phone and he moved it almost behind him.

In frustration, I forced my way to where his hand was and found myself landing on him, right on his lap, while fell on his back. I grabbed his phone and looked down, that was when I realized our position, mostly what I was sitting on. His hand was now resting on my lower back while my free hand was on his chest, feeling up his strong pec under my hand. My body tensed up when I felt him against my abdomen... He was a little hard. It made me feel heated in every part of my body, coupled with the heat from his skin and how soft yet hard his muscles were, even through his shirt.

I raised my eyes to his and found his blue eyes a shade lower and blown wide. I couldn't help but flick my eyes to his lips. They were plump and looking inviting. I could feel a coil of heat move to my core and my heart racing the more I stared at those perfect lips.

The door suddenly opened, and I moved away from his body, far away from the bed. My eyes widened when I saw it was Drake. Shit.

“What… What did I just see?” He asked and made eye contact with me.

“You interrupted something.”

I shot Paul a glare and he returned the look with a wink before rising from his bed. I avoided the look Paul was giving me and made my way to the door. As I walked past him, Drake grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop. I looked up at him and found an unreadable glint in his eyes.

“Leave her alone, Drake.”

He released my arm, and I sighed then ran out of the room. I didn’t stop running until I reached the kitchen where I drank a full glass of water.

Whatever happened in that room made something inside me ignite. Something that confused me and set my body on fire. How can the touch and presence of two men affect me so much? I had strong and deep feelings for Drake and whatever Paul made me feel was just me getting in touch with my old, childish crush.

I took a deep breath and stared into space.

None of them liked me. I was just a silly girl just as my friends would say. Paul never cared for me that way so I stopped having a crush on him and now Drake… he would never think of me as one of the girls he took home.

I needed to stop daydreaming.